26 health workers of Rampur Hospital in Palpa's Rampur Municipality have not received their salaries for 6 months due to confusion in the appointment of the Chairman of the Hospital Development Committee of Lumbini State Government. Health workers and employees of hospitals who do not get paid.

Acting Medical Superintendent Amir Kafle said that the health workers and staff employed by the Hospital Development Committee and partner organizations are without salary.  

Health workers and employees have been expressing their anger due to confusion in the process of appointing the chairman in the hospital development committee, but the hearing has not been done. There are 19 people employed by the hospital development committee on contracts and wages. Similarly, 7 employees working through partner organizations have not received their salary and festival expenses since last July. 

Rampur Hospital is under Lumbini State Government. The 50-bed hospital had not been able to appoint a president for a long time. Salaries from doctors to office assistants have not been paid. Acting Medical Superintendent Kafle said that the hospital's video X-ray and laboratory services were also affected.

Healthcare workers and employees have been complaining that they are having problems in their daily livelihood after not getting their salaries along with festival allowances. The salary scale of the staff towards the committee is less. On top of that, he has complained that he is having trouble making daily living after being without salary for five/six months. Even during this year's festival, the employees complained that there was no one to understand the problem even though they were not paid. Those who have not been paid for a long time include doctors, staff nurses, health assistants, health assistants, pharmacy assistants, lab assistants, assistant accountants, janitors, drivers, office assistants. 

Since the appointment of the president has not been made since July, not only the salary has not been paid, but medicine and supplies have not been purchased. Similarly, there is also a problem in repairing damaged equipment. According to Dr. Kafle, acting medical superintendent of the hospital, the hospital pays from the insurance, the amount collected from the service provider and the money from other partners for the salary is deposited in the account of the hospital development committee  .

But due to the lack of a chairman of the hospital development committee, funds could not be mobilized, he said. He said that the funds collected through insurance and other means will be used to purchase medicines and supplies. He said that the salary of the employees under the development committee will be paid from the profit. 

He said that the funds could not be mobilized due to the absence of the president. There is also a problem in managing medicines and supplies. After not being able to pay the salary of the employees, Rampur Hospital wrote to the Ministry of Health of Lumbini Province. After that, Lumbini Province Health Ministry gave an order on December 20 to continue the salary allowance and service contract.

But he said that the budget of the last fiscal year was pending and since it would not be legal to pay without being the president, he could not pay the salary. Dr. Kafle said that the salary was not paid after the opinion of the accounting branch, treasury and accounting control office and the administration. 

Essential medicines, laboratory and dialysis materials have to be procured with difficulty. Due to a problem with the video x-ray machine in the hospital, the service could not be operated. In addition, the hospital staff said that the thyroid check-up service was also affected due to not being able to purchase the necessary materials for the laboratory.

In February 2078, the Lumbini state government nominated Ram Prasad Dhakal as the chairman of the hospital development committee for three years. But the provincial government's cabinet meeting on 1st Kartik 2080 abolished the development committees formed in 13 hospitals of the province.  With the approval of the Hospital Development Committee (Formation and Operation) Regulations, 2080, the post of Dhakal was abolished. According to the

regulations, on 24th Kartik 2080, the province nominated Shyamkant Khanal as the president of Rampur Hospital while appointing presidents in all 13 hospitals.

The presidents of some hospitals filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying that the government's decision was unfair to them. On November 19, 2080, the Supreme Court issued a short-term interim order saying that the nomination decision should not be implemented.

After that, the hospital became without a president. After that, the presidents who were nominated in February 2078 worked in other district hospitals. But due to confusion in Rampur hospital, the work could not be done.